According to figures given by the Deputy Comptroller of prisons in Nigeria, Musa Tanko, Kuje Prisons in Abuja is holding inmates way beyond its capacity – consequently leading to congestion.
Tanko revealed the figures on Sunday when a group of the Alumni Association of the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Abuja chapter, visited the prison to donate vocational material to the inmates.
The prison currently has 852 inmates and about 75% of them totalling up to 639 are still awaiting trial while about 213 have been convicted.
Tanko declared that the prison was housing inmates beyond its original capacity and urged the judiciary to speedily adjudicate on the awaiting trial cases to decongest the prison.
The prison was originally built to house a total of 560 inmates but the reality as of today is the prison currently holds 852 inmates.
Of the 639 awaiting trial, 183 were locked up for suspected armed robbery, 18 for engaging in terrorist activities, 126 for drug-related offences and 98 for culpable homicide.
Tanko added, “This prison has the capacity of locking 560 inmates at a time but we have 852; meaning we are locking far above the capacity and this is a problem we are facing in our prisons everywhere.”
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